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What does Minijob mean?

Minijob (mini-job) is work with a small wage, up to a fixed monthly limit. The limit rises with the minimum wage.

der Minijob · die Minijobs (plural)

The employer usually pays a flat-rate tax. But a Minijob does not give you health insurance.

You pay a small contribution to the Rentenversicherung. You can ask to be exempted, but then you will get a smaller pension later.

If you get Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support) or other benefits, you must report the Minijob. Part of the wage is counted as income.

Example sentence

Bitte teilen Sie uns mit, wie viel Sie mit Ihrem Minijob im Monat verdienen.

Please tell us how much you earn per month with your Minijob.

What you can do

Keep your Lohnabrechnungen. Offices such as the Jobcenter often ask for them.

  • Lohnabrechnung The Lohnabrechnung (payslip) shows how much you earned in the month and what was deducted from it.
  • Arbeitsvertrag The Arbeitsvertrag (employment contract) sets out your work: what you do, how much you work and how much you earn.
  • Bürgergeld Bürgergeld (citizen's income) was the Jobcenter's money for people who can work but lack enough to live on. It had this name until June 2026.
  • Rentenversicherung The Rentenversicherung (pension insurance) pays pensions, for example in old age or if illness stops you from working.
  • Befreiung A Befreiung (exemption) means you do not have to pay or do something that is otherwise required. Examples are a contribution or a fee.
  • Krankenversicherung Krankenversicherung (health insurance) pays when you are ill, for example for doctors, hospitals and medicines. In Germany it is compulsory.